LIFE PARTNERS: Wanting to share each other's lives mattered more than the act of marriage to Ms Cassandra Poon, 28, who wed Mr Jules Cheu, 31, yesterday. -- ST PHOTOS: DESMOND FOO

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The figures bear out the results of a government survey on marriage and parenthood last year, which showed that more singles now want to settle down.

Eighty-five per cent of the about 3,000 singles interviewed in the survey, whose results were released on Monday, said they 'intend to marry in the future', compared to 74 per cent who had the same response in a similar exercise in 2004.

The results, coupled with the number who tied the knot last year, suggest that various efforts to encourage people to marry and have children are working.

But a Straits Times check with marriage counsellors, academics and couples preparing to walk down the aisle threw up other, more fundamental, reasons for this.

Chief among them is the strength of the economy in the past few years.

Both counsellors and academics agreed that when times are good, people are more confident of the future and more likely to think of settling down.

A quick look at the figures confirms this.

In 2003, for instance, when Sars and a global economic slump combined to deal the economy a body blow and Singapore's growth rate was 3.5 per cent, only 21,962 couples wed.

But the numbers began creeping up from 2004, as Singapore emerged from the gloom. That year, with economic growth rising to 9 per cent, 22,189 people wed.

Last year's growth was a healthy 7.7 per cent and 23,966 couples wed. The economic figures cited are official statistics based on market prices in 2000.

Said Professor Gavin Jones of the National University of Singapore's Asia Research Institute: 'Past research has shown that economic factors are quite important in determining when people get married and have children.'

Ironically, another possible reason behind the rise of marriages is that divorce is no longer taboo, say counsellors.

This, they say, has the effect of making marriage less of a 'till death do us part' proposition.

More couples are thus willing to give marriage a shot because they know there is a way out if the union fails.

Mr Mohd Ibrahim Mohd Kassim, who has been solemnising marriages for about 30 years and also does marital counselling, says he is seeing more people who feel they can get a divorce 'any time'.

The 81-year-old said: 'They think: 'If the marriage works out, good. If not, then quit.''

Indeed, divorce rates have been rising steadily over the years, hitting a record high of over 7,000 divorces and annulments in 2006.

Those interviewed also said that though the Government's pro-marriage and pro-family campaigns and policies have had an effect, at the end of the day, people choose to get hitched because they find that they want something more after spending their early adult years chasing a career.

Doctor Jocelyn Lim, 26, who wed last year, called marriage a 'natural step if you find someone you love to spend the rest of your life with'.

She added: 'I think marriage makes me a more complete person. I don't want to just have a career and no life outside of work.'

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simlinoi@sph.com.sg